Article I of the Constitution of Jill
Article I of the Constitution of Jill establishes the freedoms and liberties of citizens and residents of Jill. These include, but are not limited to, freedom of expression, freedom of religion (including separation of church and state), freedom of press, anti censorship policies, and freedom of information standards. Section 1: Freedom of expression "All citizens and residents of the nation of Jill, and its territories, shall not be withheld from expressing any of their opinions or views, in any case, excepting that the expression infringes on the rights or privacy of other people(s). The people of Jill are free to express any view, by any non-violent means, and any government action that oppresses the right to free expression of the people is in violation of this supreme Constitution of Jill." — First clause of §1 of the Constitution of Jill Section 1 of Article I outlines what freedom of expression is defined as, protects the right to expression from government interference, and provides examples of when freedom of expression may be suspended. The first clause sets the basic framework of the article, while the second outlines instances in which freedom of expression can be oppressed. Events include expressing "harmful" views at private events (such as funerals), on private property, or expressing views that directly target other citizens or residents without their consent. The third clause establishes that the government has no power to control the expression of views unless the views contain information that would directly threat the national security of Jill. Section 2: Freedom of religion and separation of church and state "The government of Jill shall make no actions promoting religion, atheism, or non-belief, nor shall the government make actions against any belief or non-belief. The citizens and residents of Jill are entitled the full right to choose and perform their religion of choice. This right may only be abridged when the practice violates the laws of the nation, are harmful to other people(s), or pose a threat to the security of the people and the country." Section 2 is a short section, basically outlining the restriction of government interference on religion (which, at the time of the drafting of the Constitution, was widespread across Floyd) and establishing very strict separation of religion and state. Section 3: Limitations on government censorship "The government of Jill is hereby banned from censoring any ideology or expression made by any citizen or resident of the nation. The government may only censor material that is considered dangerous to the security of the people. The government is also barred from regulating any aspect of the information industry ''to be [[wikipedia:entertainment industry|the entertainment industry]], in any case, excepting that the material violates criminal laws or poses a threat to the security of the nation."'' Section 3 of Article 1 is the most highly debated section of the Constitution, and has created a major modern-day political divide among the population. The arguments over whether to censor "obscene" material or not - while not brought up at the original drafting in 1839 - has been an issue for decades, with the Supreme Court of Jill insisting through repetitive cases on the section that the government may not regulate the entertainment industry (comprising of the internet, television, radio, and the press). This means that television networks, radio programs and internet users are free to share whatever content they desire, no matter how "offensive", although most major entertainment and news organizations censor their material to prevent viewer alienation. Section 4: Freedom of Information The national government of Jill may not withhold information of any type from the general public, excepting that the said information could pose a national security risk upon public release. The government must make this information easily accessible to all citizens and legal residents of Jill, through a national document archive. Section 4 is the shortest section in Article 1, endorsing freedom of government information. Section 5: The Equal Freedoms Clause All citizens and residents of the nation of Jill, residing within the borders of the territories of Jill, are protected under this Article I of the Constitution equally, and the government of Jill may not infringe on any of these rights and protections for any reason whatsoever. There shall be no forms of prejudice in the government of Jill. These rights may only be removed or limited in the case that the citizen or resident is a danger to the general public (interpreted to be levels II and above on the Jill justice system) or has committed treason against the nation. (see Article V for extended details on treason) The Equal Freedoms Clause of Article I is considered one of the most important sections of the Constitution. Section 5 is considered a landmark in civil rights law, as it swiftly demolishes any attempt at prejudice against minorities in Jill. This saved Jill from the hassle of the long and sometimes violent civil rights reform processes other nations were forced to go through. Article I, Section 5 is one of the most often referenced policies in the Supreme Court of Jill and the national law policy court system. Section 6: Rights of the accused "All citizens and residents of Jill that are accused of violating established law are considered innocent until proven guilty by a court of law. All accused persons have the right to remain silent under arrest and persecution, and are given the right to a speedy jury-based trial." Section 6 names the basic rights of the accused. Section 7: Abolishment of the death penalty "The government of Jill is barred from executing any citizen or resident under any circumstances." When the constitution was drafted in 1835, the death penalty was becoming increasingly unpopular in the few countries remaining that had not abolished it. The Constitution of Jill is the only founding document to specifically abolish capital punishment